Live Given, Life Taken
by andriaallen
Summary: When Declan's wife Liat dies during Childbirth, who comes to his rescue, hormone therapy and all, to care for little James?


**Hello! I'm back! :D this was based on a prompt from Arones. I hope you enjoy. And please, Review *smiles* I'll give you hugs. **

Declan sighed as he closed the door to the nursery. He had just put his son, James, down for his nap. Declan made to answer the door quickly, he knew who it was and Helen Magnus really shouldn't have knock on her own damn door in London.

Helen waited patiently outside as someone made to answer the door, she could just walk in, it was her house technically and legally speaking. She smiled as Declan opened the door and was surprised when he groaned. She raised an eyebrow and he pointed a finger at her. "You woke him up; you get to care for him, door right next to your bedroom." Declan said handing her a wireless baby monitor that was clipped to his belt. Helen smiled and nodded. Four years ago, Declan had met a wonderful Israeli woman on a mission and had fallen for her completely. Two years later they had been married, and three days ago she had died in child birth.

She clipped on her heels patiently to the aforementioned room and opened the door. She smiled, it was a very beautiful room done in soft blues and greens. The crib was at the back wall and in it she could see the little swath of a body, squirming and crying. She smiled and clipped the monitor to the belt of her pants and walked over to the crib. He had his mothers brown eyes and he was small and cute, even red faced from crying. She frowned and picked him up. He quieted down; rooting around her chest for the food she wouldn't give him that way. He began to fuss again as Helen looked around the room and noticed a little fridge. She opened it with one hand and pulled a little bottle out. She decided to head down to the kitchen to heat it up.

She had started hormone injections when she had heard of Liats passing. She had even pumped and sent the milk ahead of her. Declan had sent his thanks and had asked her if she was sure about leaving Old City to help him care for the baby. She had assured Declan it was fine. She could be the Head anywhere and Will was an apt replacement for a House Head while she was gone. She loved Declan, not that she would ever tell him that. She warmed the bottle and began feeding James.

She moved back to her room and was surprised to find a bassinet in it, the same bassinet that she had used for Ashley some forty years before. Helen smiled as James ate. She loved babies, absolutely loved them. Helen couldn't remember a time when she had not gushed at being able to hold a baby, especially one so new to the world. A baby was a gift and a privilege to have.

Helen began humming and swaying as she fed him. He ate two ounces before she burped him, and by that point he was sleeping, his tiny fist curled into her button down top and his head pillowed on her rather tender breasts. She didn't mind in the least. Helen walked around the room after carefully placing James in the bassinet. She would unpack and take a nap while he slept.

``~``~``Sanctuary``~``~``

Helen woke to a knock on her door and got up, donning robe and opening the door carefully. Declan was standing on the other side looking sheepish. "I'm sorry about earlier Magnus." He said looking at his feet. Helen opened the door wider and allowed him in and led to sit on a couch. She had a lamp on so that she could see to care for James during the night.

"You are perfectly fine Declan, I do understand it. Especially being a single parent. I don't mind one bit." She said eyeing him as he looked around. He noticed the breast pump and smiled.

"You didn't have to bring it, you could feed him normally, I don't mind and he doesn't care as long as he gets fed." He chuckled, eyeing the bassinet with his son. Helen smiled, nodding.

"I wasn't sure so I brought it anyway, I needed to use it, and next time, he'll be fed properly." She said, and then added. "Are you sure about this Declan, that you want me to help you, and you are fine with this?"

Declan nodded vigorously. "I told Liat that he would be cared for, this was her stipulation, that he was to be fed properly and cared for. She named you as his Godmother and wanted you to care for him. " Declan said as he stretched out on the couch. Helen smiled and moved over to grab the extra blanket of the foot of her bed. She handed it to Declan who nodded and unfolded it, curling up on the couch and drifted off to sleep.

An hour later he woke up to the sound of crying. Helen stirred from the bed and checked his nappy before she returned to the bed, James in tow and sat against the headboard. Declan just watched at how easily she took care of him, he realized that she was pulling one side of her nightgown top down and he blushed before turning his head away. "You can look now, if you want." He heard her voice. It had a smile in it. He turned his head back and looked her in the face unwilling to look any further down.

"Umm, I can leave if you want." He stuttered. Helen shook her head.

"You'll witness it eventually Declan, this'll be happening for the next six months possibly, you may as well get used to it." she said, Looking down at the little boy that was feeding on her breast. She smiled and ran a finger over his cheek, his little muscles working to suck the milk from her body. James tuned his head and effectively dislodged himself from her breast, she smiled as he sneezed, and tried to suck on thin air. "Oh, what you are looking for little one, is over here." She laughed as he became displeased with the lack of food flowing into his mouth. Helen guided him back and he latched on eagerly. She would clean the mess later, she had leaked a little. He finished and she covered herself, now that he had fed and she handed him off to Declan to burp whilst she changed nightgowns and pumped again. She hated feeling lopsided.

Declan burped his son and watched as he fell asleep. He gently laid him in the bassinet and noticed that she had left the bathroom door cracked open. He knocked. "You can come in Declan." He pushed the door opened and looked for her in the spacious bathroom. "I learned with Ashley that Privacy and modesty are nonexistent with a new born whilst one is breastfeeding or pumping." He had noticed that she was topless. The pump was attached to her and working on filling the little bottle.

She looked at Declan and smiled as he shuffled into the room. He felt incredibly awkward, Helen Magnus had just fed his son, and she was pumping, talking to him like she was filing paper work. He had to wrap his head around it. It was going to be a very long time before he got used to having his son raised by his boss. This side of life would take a lot of getting used to; He prayed that Liat was happy and safe, looking down on his new family. She would be proud of them. His son, James Malachi Macrae, would be raised by the most powerful woman in the world. That was kind of scary.


End file.
